Pirate's stand firm.

This is the best article I have found that summarizes the standoff aboard the pirate ship.

30 Days MV FAINA Piracy Crisis – Background by Ecoterra
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
October 25, 2008

In a summarizing paper, ECOTERRA Intl., the Global Society for ECOlogy and sound ECOnomy, an independent, international civil society organisation (CSO), presents the MV FAINA Piracy Crisis background and history. The first part covers the piracy case itself, whereas the second is focused on the arms sales affair. Herewith I publish the first part; in a forthcoming article, I will publish the second part.

MV FAINA - Background & History

The Actual Case:

The Ukrainian MV FAINA operated under cover of a Belize flag when it was hi-jacked on 25. September 2008 in the late afternoon by a gang of Somali pirates in three fast skiffs off the coast of Somalia on the way to its destination at the Kenyan harbour of Mombasa, where it was supposed to arrive in the early morning hours of the 27. September 2008. Reports claimed that Sudan and Russia had a hand in the capture of the ship.

The 21 men crew was taken hostage and the ship turned northwards again to reach the coastal pirate hideout at Eyl in North-Eastern Somalia. While first a smaller military vessel had shadowed the FAINA, the US-American guided missile destroyer USS HOWARD caught up, which caused that the FAINA stopped off the coastal village of Hinbarwaqo, north of the town of Hobyo.

Already at that time it was reported that the captain of the ship had suffered a heat-stroke. First communications were established with the pirates as well as with the first mate, Vladimir Nikolsky, who on 28th Sept. reported that one crew member had died on 27th due to hypertension and took over as captain.

While the ship's captain, Russian national Vladimir Kolobkov, died most likely of a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension and a sun-stroke and not due to a heart attack, the psychological warfare imposed by the encircling warships with overflying helicopters and planes, loudspeakers and communications jamming, according to various reports caused already on Sunday night a problem between a more moderate part of the pirate gang, three Majerteen hailing from Puntland, and the hard-core Habrgedir with the result that all three Majerteen were killed in a shoot-out on board - luckily not affecting the crew. The pirates, however, deny any shooting. The re-enforced group of pirates consists of around 50 men with the youngest being only 14 years of age and is supported by a growing number of heavily armed militia warriors at the shore, believed to have now a strength of over 100 men. Another shooting which did not harm the crew was reported on Tuesday afternoon by Russian ITAR-TASS.

All Somalia experts, including the former Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Affey, are convinced that in the case of the ill-fated FAINA a peaceful solution still can be achieved, which would avoid a military operation and the resulting humanitarian and environmental disaster.

Nyna Karpachyova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights ombudsman, said that the real owner of the weapon-ship is an Israeli citizen with the name Vadim Alperin (alias Vadim Oltrena). It is extremely rare for ships to be registered to individual investors such as Mr Alperin. Vadim Alperin was further investigated to have acquired this ship from a Russian state auction during the era of Boris Yeltsin. The ship was refurbished and later conveniently registered to fly the Belize flag. Other ships by the same owner where found to be operating as casinos including one based in the Gulf to entertain rich Arab clients. Vadim Alperin was once quoted to be a "Mossad brother" running a number of clandestine front companies including one Kenyan Meat export company enjoying "good trade" with middle eastern countries, but covertly used for gathering intelligence from countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

For many years, the Khartoum based Sudan government accused Israel of supplying arms and providing training to South Sudan rebels. Israel once supplied illicit weapons to South Sudan from within Ethiopia's territory, but had lost influence since the Eritrean independence. As relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia had soured, it became impossible to continue this route and Israel sought other alternative routes to get to its Uganda weapons storage for South Sudan militias through Kenyan territories.

The crew, set to make a delivery of cars and normal cargo, was allegedly called just a day before they sailed and they were only informed about its altered cargo when they were on board.

Mrs. Karpachyova also said that relatives of the hostages on board the ship would ask the Ukrainian government to prevent the liberation of the FAINA by force. Ukrainian and Russian citizens already are willing to collect money in order to assist with the ransom payment.

The pirates, who have been in communication with the operator Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine, the Panama registered ship-owner Waterlux AG, TOMAX Team Inc.- the Ukranian shipping agent, as well as the Ukrainian arms exporter Ukrspetzexport, Ukraine's state arms exports monopoly (the cargo belonged to Urkinmash, a subsidiary of Urkspetsexport) demand a ransom of in minimum 5 and maximum of 20 million US-dollar - having come down from an earlier demand of 35 million and peddled lately to the media a sum of 8 million. Like often the real people behind the ships, their management or their cargo are very difficult to establish even for the maritime authorities. The pirates likewise had at first serious problems to find the right people to talk to, because the diplomats, officials and business-people involved had not been really helpful for obvious reasons. Many shippers of clandestine goods drove the usually paid ransom, which the Somalis often call a fee for illegally entering the Somali waters, upwards to the present level, where at least 1-2 million US dollar have to be delivered for any vessel released by the pirates, who usually do not harm the crew.

However, the side-interferences were increasing on both sides every day which passed and complicated the direct negotiations. The captors then threatened on 6th October that they would sink the ship, if the negotiations are not forthcoming fast enough, while the US Navy reported the same day that all crew members are healthy and according to the circumstances all right.

Earlier the pirates on the MV FAINA already had threatened to rather die together with the crew of now two Russians, one non-resident Latvian and 17 Ukrainians, if the ship would be attacked.

Somali TFG President Abdullahi Yuusuf Ahmed gave on 1th October "special status" to the Russian war machinery and a Carte Blanche to engage in military operations in Somali waters as well as on land. Such horror-scenario would include the killing of all on board and the explosion of the ship together with the tank munitions-heads containing depleted uranium.

Many consider DU as extremely hazardous. The Nov. 2007 resolution entitled 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium' was passed by 122 votes to six at the UN First Committee in New York; with 35 abstentions. The resolution urges UN member states to re-examine the health hazards posed by the use of uranium weapons. In May 2008 the European Parliament has passed its fourth and most far-reaching resolution yet against the use of uranium weapons. MEPs have called for an EU and NATO-wide moratorium and global ban. Among others the US-American Nuclear Society had criticized the US military for the extensive used of DU ammunition in the wars during the breaking up of former Yugoslavia.

Though Oleksandr Turchynov, the Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister stated categorically: "Ukraine will never negotiate with pirates, terrorists, other criminals!", he noted at the same time that according to the international practice, the talks about a crew release and ship's further fate are held by the ship-owners with mediators and have started indeed. The ship owner of MV FAINA is the Panamanian Waterlux AG, while the company's manager is registered in Switzerland as stated by the Ukrainian government website. They all must come together and present one negotiator from the Ukrainian side.

"A deal might be sealed by Wednesday and then we will issue a statement regarding the end of the matter," said a "Jama Aden" on the phone of a "Sugule Ali" as spokesman for the captors, according to AP on 10th October, while a "Sugule Ali" told AFP the ransom demand had been reduced.

Though media even quoted uninvolved businessmen like a "Ahmed Omar" from Xaradheere commenting on a done deal, sources truly close to the negotiations reported the continuous struggle by both sides to really get into a straight line of negotiations with the right person without the persistent interferences from all sorts of sidelines. Since with the Ukrainians such focus seems to have been achieved, on the Somali side it still appears not to be clear who really has the final say.

Around 750 people - mainly women and children and old men - from the coastal Somali village of Xinbarwaaqo (Hinbarwago), closest to the weapons-ship MV FAINA, had together with their livestock left their homes already during the first week of the stand-off and shifted inland, where they camp out in makeshift shelters for fear of imminent military action or an explosion of the ship. Elders from another village Ceel Xur and from Obiyo town continue to debate on the question if also their population has to be evacuated. The whole population in the area is terrified, especially by the many night-flights of military aircraft without any lights buzzing or hovering above them. Due to several missile attacks in the recent past at several locations of civilian population in Somalia, the uninvolved and innocent local people are scared to death.

Meanwhile more militiamen from the Mogadishu area, from the Galgadud and even Gaalkacyo town in Mudug Region, mostly comprising of Habrgedir clan members (Ayr, Saad and Saleban) but also some Majerteen (Isse Mahamoud) from Eyl have arrived in the area of the coastal hinterland where the hi-jacked Ukrainian ship is in a stand-off with at least 9 foreign Navy vessels.

Elsewhere and even abroad large meetings of the Habrgedir clan have been held, who discussed solutions to the hi-jacking cases of ships and crews as well as individual foreigners and how to stop their clan-members from any abduction of people. Many expressed thereby that one of the underlying problems is that their clan has been marginalized, isolated and discriminated against and no support from the UN or the international community would reach their population.

Ukrainian and Russian media have called family members of the captured crew for a television campaign against the use of military means to rescue the ship.

They urge the Ukrainian and Russian governments to embrace diplomatic means.

Unfortunately, the Somali side was since Saturday 04th October entangled in and hampered by lengthy clan-based internal discussions, interferences by militia groups and the conclusion to the negotiations drag on, while speed is of the essence to also avoid the outbreak of hostilities at the coastal stretch near to the ship. Too much emphasis is given to the surrounding sagas for whom the weapons are, how the armada of joint navies should act or how Somali politicians and brokers, who have been helpless all along, should assist. Soon there will be no possibility any longer to cut a deal and walk away from it alive - for neither side.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said, according to BBC, force should be used to rescue the weapons from the pirates. He thereby stands isolated as the only person worldwide, who opts for a forceful solution, which would cause a major humanitarian and environmental disaster. Maybe he just hopes that thereby crucial evidence in that saga would also be destroyed.

According to PANA press agency, Wetangula said the use of force to free the ship was necessary, having been authorized by the United Nations Security Council, which ordered the use of force against any acts of piracy in the Horn of Africa region. "We are going to move with the Chinese and Indians to see that the hijack of the ship along the coast of Somalia (will) be the last in the country," Wetangula said in the PANA press release quoted by the French website www.afriquenligne.fr

It seems that there is some misinterpretation again on the Kenyan side, since the UN allowed, but did not order and specifically did not order to use force in an operation against the pirates of MV FAINA. It is believed and has been stated by the pirates that the ship and its explosive cargo has been prepared for any such attack in a more serious way than some of the other held ships, which are said to now be mined against commando operations.

"The pirates are holding hostages... human lives are at stake. Ultimately, force could result in casualties," warned Somali Foreign minister Ali Ahmed Jama in Nairobi on 7th October, thereby refuting that his Kenyan counterpart had specific permission to use force against the MV FAINA.

The families and relatives of the Ukrainian seafarers together with the rest of the world, this time including the United States of America, hope that the Ukrainian government stands strong on their decision to achieve a peaceful solution and can prevent any unwise action from any side.

The 20 crewmembers aboard the hijacked Ukrainian ship laden with combat tanks and ammunition are living in fear, the U.S. Navy said Thursday 09th October. "They want it to end peaceful and quickly," Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman from the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said and stated that the US-Navy is in regular contact with the crew of the MV FAINA via a satellite phone.

He said the US-Navy did not know when the stand-off might end, but said they would make sure the pirates do not take the heavy weapons ashore. Other contacts reported in addition that the crew is being treated well and the 20 men take regular meals prepared by their own chef, while the pirates are ready and prepare for a quick release.

Based on the Kenyan sabre-rattling a hostile response came on 10. October: "We held a consultative meeting for more than three hours today and decided to blow up the ship and its cargo - us included - if the ship owners did not meet our ransom demand," a "Sugule Ali" told the Associated Press allegedly from aboard MV FAINA and stated: "After three days, starting from tomorrow, the news of the ship will be closed. Either we achieve our goal and get the ransom or perish along with the ship, its crew and cargo." This was according to AP repeated to the Spanish news agency Efe.

The negotiations had continued positively and all sides, except one, were willing to safeguard the human lives at risk and to come now together for a quick solution including the rather complicated modalities, which have to be applied in this case for the release operation. The talks were getting closer, though there is still too much interference from the sidelines, which actually caused that the pirates sometimes spoke to the wrong people and have now the impression that the negotiations are willfully being extended to gain time for the preparation of a military operation. They therefore had given on 11th October an ultimatum of 3 days for the ransom to be paid.

"The talks between pirates and ship owners totally stopped yesterday (11. Oct.) after the pirates insisted that Somali brokers must be removed from the process to negotiate", said Ahmed Abshir Hasan, an elder in the pirates' lair of Harardhere to AFP, who reported also: "They said the process will resume in four days with new brokers", as being said by another elder Abdullahi Moalim Afrah. "We don't want any Somali broker to get involved in this deal and that is why we stopped the talks", added another pirate, who did not want to give out his name.

Somali brokers as well as interested sides from Sudan and other sidelines have interfered since the beginning of the stand-off, just being interested in their own agenda, which had a negative impact on direct negotiations between the one and only negotiator for the side of the hostages and the ship with the commander of the pirates on board.



"We believe that the pirates also have understood now that it doesn't help them to negotiate anything with third parties, who would not have the power to implement and guarantee the modalities for the release of the ship" an official close to the scene said. MV FAINA is pinned down and observed at the Somali coast by six US-American and at least four European warships.

The UN-AU panel warned Kenya on 11. October 2008 from intervening in the hijacked ship and said Kenya has no mandate over the ship. Former Kenya's special envoy to the Sudanese peace talks Lt-Gen Lazarus Sumbeiywo said the hijacking would have affected Kenya had the Ukrainian ship docked in Kenyan territorial waters adding that the services of the Kenyan Navy would then have been sought. "It affects Kenya when it is only in the port of Mombasa. If the international community requires help in the rescue operations, it will be in their interest not Kenya alone", said Sumbeiywo.

Observers feared since Sunday, 12th October 2008, that the vessel might soon run out of fuel for the generators, which produce electricity and thereby could loose main-engine-start, communication, navigation, lights, pumps, air-conditioning, the freshwater and toilet systems, essential units of the kitchen and the cool-room, where also the body of the deceased captain of the ship is kept. These fears were later confirmed and a tonne of fuel has been delivered to the ship, which will be enough for a few days. The pirates have so far refused to accept other support from third parties and ways of how to get food and safe drinking water for the crew are still worked on.

Either we receive our money by tomorrow, or never,'' Sugule Ali, a spokesman for the pirates, said by satellite phone, in comments posted on 13th October at the Web Site of Russian state broadcaster Vesti-24. He ``gave it to be understood'' that the ship, the MV FAINA, could be sunk tonight or tomorrow, Vesti said. Other sources, however, dispute that "spokesman Sugule Ali" really would speak for the Somali commander under whose order the group holding MV FAINA operate.

The crew members' relatives tried but so far failed to meet with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev over the ransom demand, which began at 35 million US$ and has since appeared to drop to below 10 million. They vowed not to leave the president's office.

Kenya will not give in to ransom demands, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula said on Monday during a reception at the Spanish Ambassador's residence in Nairobi and declared that Kenya would not pay the $10 million ransom the hijackers are reported to have agreed on. Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur (nicknamed "Ali America") and the minister ruled out chances of the pirates blowing the ship up.

However, risk analysts raised their eye-brows upon such "insurances" and stated that neither scenario could be ruled out so easily, which either would take the possibility into consideration that meanwhile suicidal jihad fighters could have been brought on board together with the enforcement of the pirates or would evaluate the likelihood that a torpedo or a clandestine commando attack by outside forces could blow up the vessel to "sink the problem", which causes so much governmental embarrassment and diplomatic rows. "In both cases the pirates would anyway be blamed by the world" and "Also the suicide attack against the USS Cole at the coast of Yemen should not be forgotten", one analyst reminded, where two suicide bombers detonated their explosives-packed boat next to the U.S. warship as it re-fuelled on 12th October 2000 in Aden harbour at Yemen's southern tip, killing 17 U.S. sailors, wounding 39 and causing a repair damage of over 150 million US $, not including the only 8 million dollar compensation the families of the dead soldiers still are waiting for. On March 14, 2007, a federal judge in the United States ruled that the Sudanese government (Khartoum) was liable for the bombing. Sudan's hand is felt in the case of the FAINA now also inside Somalia already.

On 14th October the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia (ICU) declared war against western warships in Somali waters accusing them of wanting to re-colonize and spread Christianity in Somalia, ICU spokesperson Abdirahiim Isse Addow stated. Speaking during an interview with African Press Agency (APA), the ICU spokesperson said the US and other western warships, including NATO, are helping the deployment of what he called "Christian soldiers into Somalia and their aim is to re-colonize Somalia."

Meanwhile Prof. Abdulgafur H.S. El-Busaidy, SUPKEM (Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims) chairman and outstanding scholar, as well as many Somali religious leaders warned that the MV FAINA must not be exploded by any side and said it would be an outrageous crime and a big sin (Xaram / Haram) since the destruction of life is not permissible and the consequences for all life forms would be horrible in this case.

A "Sugule Ali" as spokesman for the Somali pirates stated on 15th October they have withdrawn their threat (to blow up the vessel if the ransom would not have been paid by today), because they are again negotiating the release of crew, ship and cargo. He said also negotiations are going very well. "We have withdrawn it," Ali stated, referring to the threat. He spoke to AP via satellite phone from the MV FAINA.

A Ukrainian opposition party said on 15th October it had started a fundraising campaign to raise the $8 million ransom demanded by Somali pirates for the release of the MK FAINA vessel and its crew. The fund-raising campaign was launched by the Party of Regions, led by Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych.

A pirate speaking by satellite phone said Wednesday 15th October that an excessive number of mediators had been hampering the negotiations, but that the pirates did not plan to harm the crew. People on shore near the ship said that the pirates had recently hauled aboard enough spaghetti, rice and goat meat to last them several months.

Field observers reported on 16th October renewed attempts by various factions to link up with the pirates on MV FAINA in order to engage into sideline-deals involving the offloading of at least some of the weapons.. Money has allegedly be offered for light arms and ammunition as well as for some weapons-systems on board. Experience from the MV THOR STAR, which has been looted before release, make such claims believable.

Despite increased negotiation efforts, the stand-off concerning Ukrainian MV FAINA was on 17th October still not yet solved, but intensive negotiations have continued and both sides are striving to finalize the safe release, though Ukraine itself is in turmoil. It is believed, however, that the call by Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko for a snap parliamentary election after his coalition collapsed will not affect the release-negotiations concerning MV FAINA.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko had dissolved the legislative body - the Supreme Council (Verkhovna Rada) - on Wednesday morning and called early polls for December 7 after his ruling "orange" coalition with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc collapsed after the premier's party sided with the opposition in passing a law to cut the president's powers. Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, leaders of the 2004 "Orange Revolution," have drifted apart and are bitter adversaries over a host of issues, including Russia's war with Georgia in August.

The government refused Tuesday to allocate election campaign funds of $80 million from the state reserve and urged President Yushchenko to reverse a decision calling for early parliamentary polls. In a major turnaround, Ukraine's prime minister said on Thursday she was ready to accept any conditions set by the president and his team to salvage the ruling coalition and avoid early parliamentary elections. Both are expected to run for president in 2010. The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers approved now state budget amendments to allocate funding for early parliamentary elections, the country's defense minister, Yuriy Yekhanurov, said earlier Thursday, but Madam Yulia Tymoshenko stated the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was ready to grant Ukraine a loan of between $3 billion and $14 billion to help the country overcome the financial crisis, though the credit would only be provided if the early elections were postponed.

On 17th October Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's office held a special meeting, with officials saying afterwards that they were working "every hour" to liberate the Ukrainian sailors on board the ship.

Relatives of 17 Ukrainians on the ship have collected money for the ransom, media reports said on Saturday. "The negotiations are ongoing. We still haven't handed over the money but it's all leading up to that," Olga Girzheva, the mother of one of the hostages, told Ukrainian media, without giving a final figure for the ransom. Relatives told reporters that most of the ransom money had come from leading politicians including Viktor Yanukovych, a former prime minister who leads Ukraine's main opposition party, the pro-Russian Regions Party.

While one tonne of fuel could be provided earlier, specific food and fresh-water supplies for the crew have not yet been allowed on board. Emergency electricity also can be produced by the three wind-turbines which the ship is equipped with.

Most recently on 19th October US-American Navy spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said that the crew of the MV FAINA looked healthy. The pirates who seized the ship three weeks ago allowed the mostly Ukrainian crew to line up on the deck so U.S. sailors on nearby vessels could see and photograph them together with their mostly extremely young Somali captors.

See: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/081019-N-1082Z-082.jpg

A missile frigate from Russia's Baltic Fleet was passing through the Suez Canal on 21st October en route to the coast of Somalia in order to join an international naval group fighting sea piracy in the region, a senior Russian Navy official said. "The task of the destroyer Neustrashimy (Unchallengeable) is to escort and protect Russian vessels or ships with Russian crew-members on board from pirate attacks," Russian Navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said according to RIA Novosti. Other maritime sources, however, claimed the Russian warship had already arrived in Somali waters. The Russian deployment has raised media speculation that Moscow, which has dealt harshly with hostage-takers in the past, could use force to free the crew of the MV FAINA. Russia's central command, however, had earlier ruled out a direct military engagement with the situation concerning the weapon-laden ship pinned down at the Somali coast by several US and EU navy ships plus a submarine in the area, which regularly is also spotted further South near Mogadishu harbour.

Relatives of the mostly-Ukrainian crew held hostage aboard the ship are preparing to pay a ransom demanded by pirates, a crew spokeswoman told the Ukrainian Fakty newspaper on 21th October. Nina Karpecheva, Ukrainian member of parliament and human rights ombudsperson, is in Kenya since 21th of October to attend a SIDA sponsored conference for National Human Rights Organizations. She is said to be in regular contact with the pirate negotiators as well as with diplomats on the scene.

A spokesman for the shipowners said that the crew ran out of food and water a week ago and the pirates had been feeding the sailors up to October 21 with supplies brought from the mainland.

Ukraine's Segodnya newspaper and RIA Novosti, the Russian news agency, must have misunderstood the Somali pirates holding the MV FAINA when they published on 22nd October that the pirates had threatened to kill the crew tomorrow, quoting: "Tell everybody that the crew will die. Possibly, tomorrow". The group holding the FAINA most likely wanted to simply express that due to the critical food, water and fuel situation serious suffering among the crew can not be ruled out from tomorrow.

The relatives of the crew, a majority of them Ukrainian, are preparing for the payment of ransom. The situation on the FAINA, however, is critical, as reserves of water, food and fuel, including diesel fuel for the ship's generators, will last less than 30 hours, Channel 5 reported on Oct.22, with reference to Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Mme. Nina Karpachova.

The operators of the FAINA had said on 23rd October that they had not raised enough money to meet the pirates´ multimillion-dollar ransom demand. Viktor Murenko, the head of Tomex Team, which operates the cargo ship, said the company had accumulated only $1 million toward the ransom. Mr. Murenko said the FAINA´s crew members had received food and water and were in satisfactory condition.

Most importantly, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry renewed on 23rd October its guarantee to save the lives of the hostages on the seized ship as priority in talks with pirates.

A spokesman for those holding the Ukrainian arms ship warned if the ship was attacked by NATO forces its 20-man crew would be among those killed and vowed on 23rd October to fight back if attacked, regardless of the impending arrival of a flotilla of NATO warships. "Either we get the money or hold onto the ship. And if attacked, we will fight back to the bitter end," s "Sugule Ali" told AP via satellite telephone. "The important thing, though, is if we die they will die too," he added, referring to the FAINA's crew.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and other central executive authorities are taking all of the necessary measures aimed at the peaceful settlement of the situation with hostages on the FAINA. "We would like to note that Ukraine as a state cannot be a party in the negotiating process with the pirates. According to the international practice, if pirates hijack ships, government structures don't participate in talks directly with assailants. The mechanism of holding the negotiations foresees talks between a ship-owner or a company managing [the ship] and pirates, directly or through mediators. According to this practice, the FAINA shipowner empowered a professional legal company to hold the talks with the pirates", reads the statement.

"To ensure freedom of actions to fight piracy directly in Somalia's territorial waters, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has requested the agreement of the Interim Federal Government of the Somali Republic to grant the Russian Federation 'cooperating state' status," the ministry said in a statement.

"In cooperation with other nations, the Russian side intends to undertake all measures sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council to improve maritime situation in this region. Russia's navy ship Neustrashimy is already on its way there". "`The Russian side nevertheless considers that the joint efforts of all participants will lead to a successful outcome of the crisis and the freeing of the crew and of the ship", the ministry said.

It is hoped that the crew of the approaching Russian guided missile frigate Neustrashimy is also invited to join the R&R of their NATO naval counterparts at the French Navy Resort in Djibouti and gives the negotiators a few more days to conclude the peaceful deal concerning the MV FAINA. Once released with their crew alive the Russian warship can escort the vessel back home from this ill-fated trip. Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" over the fate of the ship's crew, which includes two of the original three Russian nationals. The Russian captain died after a sun-stroke. "Unfortunately, and because of the pirates' unacceptable conditions, the attempt to secure the assistance of the ICRC and U.S. colleagues in handing over the body of the dead Captain Vladimir Kolobkov have been unsuccessful at the present stage.

Note

Picture: All eyes on MV FAINA

http://www.newsmax.com/international/af_somalia_piracy/2008/10/01/136260.html